In 2009, 12 local residentS
died from drug overdoses;
most were ag'e 35-50

By Eric Kopp
Okeechobee News
"We're a pill society. If you don't have
anything wrong with you, we've got a pill for
that."

That statement came from an Okeecho-
bee Narcotics Task Force detective who
works nothing but prescription pill cases
when told about a recent interim report
from the Florida Medical Examiners Con-
mission detailing drug-related deaths for the
first six months of 2009.
"Oxycodone deaths-that's out of con-
trol. And, it's gonna get worse," warned the
detective.
According to the statewide report, re-

leased through the Florida Department of
Law Enforcement (FDLE), there were 890
deaths due to the pain killer oxycodone in
the first six months of 2009. That number
was up 14.4 percent over the last six months
of 2008.
A report from the District 19 Medical Ex-
arniner's Office in Fort Pierce shows that 12
people in Okeechobee County died last year
due to drug overdose. Two of those 12 were
due to "oxycodone toxicity." There were

none in 2008.
With an estimated population of just over
39,000, that means there are roughly three
deaths for every 10,000 residents that are
caused strictly by drug overdose, pointed
out the detective.
Statewide, in the first six months of 2009,
the drugs that caused the most deaths were:
oxycodone 499, all benzodiazepines 470
See DRUG;S Pagfe 9

By Charles M. Murphy
Okeechobee News
Alex Moskovic was 13 when he becarne a victirn
of the holocaust in Hungary. He narrowly avoided
death in a near two year nightmare.
Mr. Moskovic didn't let the experience ruin his life
as he emigrated to the United States and worked in
the television industry. He earned 20 Erry nornina-
tions and 10 Ernry awards while he worked for the
ABC network and ABC Wide World of Sports.
Osceola Middle School students got to hear Mr.
Moskovic's remarkable story during an assembly
Wednesday at the School Gyrnnasiurn. He presented
a slide show that included pictures that depicted his
personal experiences and the death marches and
concentration camps he was placed in.

Teacher Jorje Botello said it was the students'
chance to get a personal connection with history.
He said they will likely renernber it for a long time.
"This was too horrible to comprehend. Mr. Mosk-
ovic is a gentle man who has coped with this hor-
ror. His goal is to prevent this from ever happening
again," he said.
Mr. Moskovic explained it is the responsibility of
everyone to leave the world in better shape than
how they found it. He goes around and speaks to
school students around Florida and retraces the
steps and the nernories, however painful, many
times per year. He has visited Okeechobee Schools
rnany times over the years.
Mr. Moskovic said he has good nernories of his
See HOLOCAUST Page 2

Sew tageo4 fo ti orrnation atxout

Ill| l III16510 00024

*** Page 13

Vol. lol ive. 52 Friday, April 3O, 2010

500 Plus tax

Holocaust survivor speaks

to middle school students

Lake Levels
15.11 feet
Last year: n1.24 eet

763-7222

0HS Softball CgSchool board
team advances '1 honors

to regional
semi-finals

student s

and staffers

... Page 5

"I hated the Nazis. I did not
hate all Germans. There was no
reason for me to hate someone
who had nothing to do with
the Germany of the 1930s and
1940s.
Alex Moskovic
inarches from camp to camp. He survived
on a diet of bread and snow. "My only
thought was to remain at the beginning of
the column and survive," he said. He lived
on a diet of a slice of bread, potatoes and
soup at these camps. He slept in a bunk with
four others. He "lucked out" as he got a job
in the kitchen of one of the camps and was
able to scrape for extra morsels of food.
Mr. Moskovic said the concentration
camps burned and gassed thousands of
Jews and other minorities every day. He said
the holocaust was not just a Jewish issue.
There were French, Czechoslovakian and
Italian political prisoners, gypsies, homo-
sexuals and Jehovah's Witnesses in these
camps.
After the camp was liberated, Mr. Mosk-
ovic's uncle sent hirn the money to corne to
the United States where he began a new life.
He also showed a short film documentary
about a trip he took a few years ago, back to
these concentration camps.
Mr. Moskovic told the kids that he holds
no hatred for the German people.
"I hated the Nazi's. I did not hate all Ger-
Inans. There is no reason for me to hate
someone who had nothing to do with the
Germany of the 1930s and 1940s," he told
the group.

O keechobee

ForeCaSt

Today: A 30 percent chance of showers,
mainly after 2pin. Mostly cloudy, with a high
near 85. Southeast wind between 5 and 10
Inph.
Tonight: A 30 percent chance of show-
ers, mainly before 8prn. Mostly cloudy, with
a low around 68. Southeast wind between 5
and 15 Inph, with gusts as high as 20 Inph.
Extended Forecast
Saturday: Partly sunny, with a high near
91. Southeast wind between 5 and 15 Inph.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy, with
a low around 69. East southeast wind be-
tween 10 and 15 Inph becoming calm.
Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near
92. Southeast wind between 5 and 10 Inph.
Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low
around 71. Southeast wind between 5 and
10 Inph.

childhood. His farnily owned a country store
in Sobrance, Hungary, where he was born in
1931. When his farnily was taken by Hunga-
ry Police into Gerrnan hands in the winter of
1943-1944, the mood of the town was World
War II would soon be over. Russian troops
had made it within 20 miles of his town.
That all changed as Hungarian police
took his farnily and many others to a nearby
synagogue. From there they were loaded
onto cattle cars and would never be together
again
"This was overwhelming for a youngster
who until this point had no real concerns
in his life," he said. He showed slides of his
neighbors who looted his farnily's hone
days after they were taken into custody. He
said that everyone seemed to have a smile
on their face. "Everyone walked around
with a smile like they were doing the right
th ng" he dded
in showed slides of the conditions he
was put in at infamous concentration camps
like Auschwitz, Birkenau and Buchenwald.
He said he was liberated in April 1945 by
American servicemen.
Mr. Moskovic was the only survivor in
his family. He reunited shortly with his older
brother and father in one of the camps. He
said he didn't recognize his brother at first.
He considered the reunion a miracle. He
said the reunion made then overjoyed and
broken-hearted at the time. His father be-
came ill soon afterward and was taken away
to the infirmary and never seen again. Mr.
Moskovic found his death certificate years
later and learned he had died in Septern-
ber 1943. His brother was taken on a death
march just days before the camp was liber-
ated.
Mr. Moskovic was also involved in death

Scout District to celebrate

with family event
The Big Lake District Scouts will cele-
brate 100 years of scouting with a 'Farnily
Carnpout' on Saturday, May 1 at the Lake-
port Cornrunity Center, 10245 Red Barn
Road, Lakeport, from 8 a.In. to 4 p.m. The
event will include scout advancement,
Pinewood Derby races, gaines, food and
fun. There will also be a Parade of Flags
display and Horsemanship events.
Corne and join in the farnily fun. Ev-
eryone is invited to experience scouting
in action. Directions to the event: S.R. 78
to C.R. 79 to Red Barn Road, take a right,
Cornrunity Center is on North side.

OC SO will honor fallen

officers on May 14
The Okeechobee County Sheriff's Of-
fice will host a Law Enforcement Merno-
rial on Friday, May 14, beginning at 9 a.n.
The service will be held on the front steps
at the sheriff's office, and will honor nern-
bers of law enforcement that were killed
in the line of duty in 2009. There were 126
officers killed last year, with eight of those
being in the state of Florida.

~r~n. .

Okeechobee News

April 30, 2010

EMORY WALKER CO., INC.
208 S.W. 5th Avenue Okeechobee, FL 34974

(863) 763-6742

: 1114022 Ofer expires 6r30/2010

Vehicles 'keyed' while parked at OHS

We are pleased to announce that Ms. Penny Revels and Ms. Deanna
Hardin are the winners of the naming contest for Okeechobee's own
assisted living community.
The Heritage reflects our commitment to our community.
We welcome everyone to b
Chamber of Commerce -
Koffee Kathon
April 22nd at 8 AM where -
representatives willl be
available to answer ques- -
tions. We also invite you to the official ground breaking ceremony at the
site on 608 NE Second Avenue, at 12 noon on April 30th 2010. For
further information, please contact Lou O'Bannon at (863) 697-3813 cell
or 863-467-7865. Refreshments willl be served at both occasions.

Free seminars provide information about new technology
that can help reduce pain and restore your lifestyle.

Available exclusively at Martin Memorial.

Listen to an orthopedic surgeon discuss MAKOplasty" partial knee
resurfacin Powered by interactive robotic arm technology this
innovative treatment option can benefit people with early to mid-stage
knee osteoarthritis.

Thursday, May 6th, 6-7 p.m., Indian River State College

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To register call 1-866-361-HOPE (4673).

April 30, 2010

Okeechobee News

Felony pot charges

R ainst local motol
By Eric Kopp 98 N. After Deputy Matth~
Okeechobee News Okeechobee County Sher
An Okeechobee man was arrested on fel- had stopped Bennett he
ony marijuana possession charges after he received permission to i
was stopped for reportedly running a stop sae h eetv.
sign. During that search th
Dayne Matthew Bennett, 19, N.W. 84th found three small plastic
Court, was arrested Tuesday, April 27, on bag containing a green le
felony charges of possession of marijuana substance was field test~
with intent to sell and possession of mari- positive result for the press
juana over 20 grams. He was also arrested stated the arrest report. T
on a misdemeanor charge of possession of juana weighed 22.3 gram
drug paraphernalia. The detective went on
Bennett was booked into the Okeecho- ond search was condu
bee County Jail under a bond of $11,000. vehicle and an additional
According to an arrest report by a detec- pected marijuana was fo~
tive with the Okeechobee Narcotics Task ual bags that were hiddeI
Force, Bennett was stopped in the 900 block Bennett was also issue
of U.S. 98 N. after he ran a stop sign at the for failing to stop at a st
intersection of N.W. 18th Terrace and U.S. window tint, continued tl

By Eric Kopp
Okeechobee News
A still-to-be-determined number of ve-
hicles were 'keyed' last weekend while
parked inside a fenced area at Okeecho-
bee High School. According to a Sunday,
April 25, report by Deputy John Hazy of
the Okeechobee County Sheniff's Office
(OCSO) the vehicles belonged to OHS
students and employees who found the
damage upon their return from a school-
sponsored outing.
The deputy's report lists 24 vehicles
as being damaged, but added that more
were being reported throughout the day.
The report does not give a total number of

vehicles, but does estimate total damages
at $15,000. Some of the vehicles sustained
wr ad rp ture sca llee in trle pin
-ad Dep Hay
saAltl uh th report does not say how
many vehicles were parked in the area, it
does state that most were damaged.
Deputy Hazy went on to indicate that
there were video surveillance cameras
facing the area of the parked vehicles but,
at the time of his report, he did not know
what the cameras had captured.
Because the investigation is continu-
ing, anyone who has information on the
vandalism should contact the Okeechobee
County Sheriff's Office at 863-763-3117.

By Eric Kopp
Okeechobee News
An Okeechobee man is back in the coun-
ty jail following his April 27 arrest on a felony
drug charge
Daniel W. Sills, 41, N.W. 102nd St., was
arrested Tuesday on a felony charge of pos-
session of methamphetamine. He was also
arrested on misdemeanor charges of pos-
session of marijuana under 20 grams and
possession of drug paraphernalia.
Sills was booked into the Okeechobee
County Jail under a bond of $1 1,000.
Florida Department of Corrections re-
cords indicate that Sills was arrested in 2006
for possession of methamphetamine. On
Jan. 18, 2007, he was sentenced by then-
Circuit Court Judge Sherwood Bauer to a
prison sentence of 18 months. Sills was re-
leased from prison Jan. 17, 2008.
According to an arrest report by Deputy
Brian Cross of the Okeechobee County Sher-
iff's Office (OCSO) Sills was stopped in the
1700 block of N.W. Ninth Ave. Tuesday after-

noon because he wasn't wearing a seat belt.
At that time, Deputy Cross placed Sills under
arrest on a misdemeanor charge of driving
while license suspended with knowledge.
The deputy went on to state in his report
that he began to inventory the 1994 Chev-
rolet S-10 pickup that Sills was driving. Dur-
ing that inventory, Deputy Cross stated that
he found a plastic container containing a
suspicious substance stuffed between the
driver's and passenger seats. A field test on
the substance indicated a positive result for
the presence of methamphetamine, added
the deputy. The suspected meth weighed 4.3
grams, said the OCSO report.
Deputy Cross went on to state that a
wooden pipe containing a small amount of
a green leafy substance was found on the
floor of the truck. A field test of the substance
indicated a positive result for the presence
of marijuana, he added. The deputy said the
suspected pot weighed .01 gram.
Sills was also issued a traffic citation for
not wearing a seat belt.

filed

rist
ew Crawford of the
niff's Office (OCSO)
then asked for and
search the vehicle,

re deputy allegedly
c bags, with each
~afy substance. The
ed and indicated a
;ence of marijuana,
he suspected mari-
Sto state that a sec-
cted on Bennett's
73.4 grams of sus-
und in nine individ-
n behind the radio.
led traffic citations
op sign and illegal
he report.

Speak Out hosmoved online, where
it is quicker and easier to share your
ideas and converse with others. Go to
www.newszap.com, click on the com-
munity name and your local or state
Public Forum. There, you can create
new topics or comment on existing
topics. What follows is a sampling of
some of the discussions currently tak-
ing place. Thanks for participating!

Pain Clinics
*It arnazes me how someone who
doesn't need a pain clinic can be so critical
of others. You're right, it's a racket but for
those of us that need pain assistance, we
have no choice. I, like many others, have
no insurance. So I have to a pay a huge fee
to get in and then they make you buy your
medication there instead of at a pharmacy
where it's cheaper. They then make you go
every month even though you can't afford it.
So many, not myself, but many who can't af-
ford, sell their medications to get to the next
visit. The local doctors don't want to give
you your very needed medications so they
send you to the pain clinic. I think that if the
doc ors took the tin dto really hee thi iphpt

nies are and who are not. I pay full price out
of pocket to see a doctor. It would be nice to
really see then and not a nurse who is not
qualified to diagnose. They run in and out of
the room trying to get the doctor to approve
whatever decision they have made.
*The city's planned rnoratoriurn on pain
clinics will not affect those already in busi-
ness. I think this is smart to keep any from
corning into Okeechobee until they can
get a handle on the issues involved. Pain is
not new. People got along for many, many
years without these new drugs. Pain is the
body's way of letting you know something
is wrong. I think these doctors are too quick
to prescribe the stronger, more addictive
painkillers instead of encouraging people to
do physical therapy and use less addictive
alternatives.
*It is obvious that Florida needs stron-
ger laws to prevent doctor shopping and pill
mills. People are corning from all over the
country to buy prescription drugs so they
can take then out of state and sell then il-
legally. That should tell you something. The
Florida Legislature needs to address this
problem.

Free Fair
*I know there is a lot of sympathy for
the American Legion in this dispute over the
fair dates, but why doesn't the Legion just
move their event back one week so it starts
in January? The way it is now, many years
the Free Fair starts in the last week of Janu-
ary anyway. But sorne years they want to
start it later and that is what is causing the
conflict. For 2011, why don't they just start it
on Jan. 29 and run through the 10 or 1 1 days
they wanted? It would still end before the 30
day cutoff for the events before the county
fair. It's not like the Free Fair always starts in
February because sorne years it does start in
January.
*The Legion was here first. Let the coun-
ty fair move their dates if they are worried
about a conflict in the dates.
understand that originally,1like 50 years
ago, the Free Fair was in February because it
was held in conjunction with the livestock
show, But that changed like 30 or 40 years
ago. So now the main purpose of the Free
Fair is to raise money for the Legion. If they
really want to raise money, they should hold
it in October or early November where there

te weate i r n < r. Mos < mmn ty fs i
vals are in January and February to bring in
the winter people. But winter people are not
the target audience for the Free Fair because
it is just carnival rides. The winter people for
the most part don't ride the carnival rides.
The families with kids who are the target au-
dience of the Free Fair are here in October.
So why not cater to the audience?
*I like the Free Fair but I can never find a
place to park when it is going on. They only
have a little parking lot and it is always full
so people are parking on the streets. At least
with the county fair, they have plenty of free
parking, but I think they should not charge
the entry fee for children under the age of
12.
*Why can't they cornprornise -- start the
Legion Fair a day earlier and the county fair
a day later.
*They would have to cornprornise with
the ride vendors and all that good stuff, and
pushing back one date can screw up the rest
of the touring year for that company.
*We stopped going to the Free Fair be-
cause we did not feel safe there at night, due
to the gang activity. I think the county fair
can control that better because you have to
go through ticket gate to enter.

MustangS
*I was so glad to read that the Inustangs
all got good hornes and will be taken care
of. But I also heard rumors that in addition
to the four Inustangs still running loose near
the river, there may be other groups of hors-
es that were dumped somewhere on public
land. In a way, I hope if they were dumped
that they won't be found and will just be al-
lowed to run free.

SheetS
*Why did all the stores stop making
sheets separately? I have twin electric beds
and we have then together so we need 2
fitted bottorn sheets and king size sheet for
the top but I have called everyone I know
(stores) and just get a run around. I never
had any problems until they came out in sets
and there is no set with 2 fitted XL bottorn
sheets and a king size top sheet. I know peo-
ple who can't find then, not just me. We use
to be able to order then but not any more.
I would send to the maker but can't find an
address on any.

Proposed ban on texting
*I really can't understand why anyone
would think that a law banning texting while
driving is not a good idea. Texting while dniv-
ing is incredibly dangerous because the per-
son is not watching the road.
*There was plenty of support for it but
one powerful legislator stopped it from be-
ing voted on. Ellyn Bogdanoff, Republican-
Fort Lauderdale, refused to put it on the
calendar for the cornrittee she chairs, effee-
tively stopping the bill from going to a vote.
*Honk if you love Jesus. Text while driv-
ing if you want to meet him.
*Let me preface this with saying that tex-
ting while driving is an incredibly stupid and
dangerous act. The Bill (SB 448) would ban
the use of electronic wireless devices behind
the wheel -reading or writing text message
and e-rnail or surfing the Internet. BUT, it
would make texting a secondary offense,
meaning to get cited drivers must be pulled
over for another offense, such as speeding.
Therefore as written, the offender could text
to his (or hers) heart content until caught for
another offense. This would be somewhat
difficult to enforce. And in my mind, a "feel
good" law has no substantial purpose.
*A REPUBLICAN opposed this? Now
how do we blarne this on Obarna?

Blame it on Bush. You know you want

When enough people gripe ar complain
about something, The powers that be will
someday pass a law against it. But as soon
as they do they t-

othe es t
tas tore wh t
can't enforce that
law they passed.
It will take sorne
Senator's kid
to get killed by
someone who
was texting. Tex-
ting will then be-
cone a felony not just sorne second hand
law they passed to appease the masses.
*In the beginning, you couldn't be
stopped for not wearing a seat belt. Now
you can be, so I blarne the Republican for
not taking that first step which will eventu-
ally lead to more.

Softball team
*Friday Night OHS Softball beat Jensen
Beach 1-0 for the title in 9 innings. At (21-6)
this is our third title in four years. Good job.

Commercials
*Fox News and ABC news are refusing
to air Lane Bryant underwear cornrercials
for the large sized women. Do you see any
difference between Lane Bryant cornrer-
cials and Victoria Secret? What about corn-
rnercials that have wornen in bikinis?
*They don't seem to have a problem
running cornrercials for lingerie during the
day on most channels. Why would the news
programs think their viewers would be of-
fended? It can't be any worse than the shoe
cornrercial that focuses on wornen's rears.

Off shore oil rig leaking
*And people think we need to drill for
oil off Flonida?
*My friend lives in the Tarnpa Area and
they can now sinell the fumes from the rig. It
is so bad she has had headaches from it the
past two nights.
*It is very rare when you hear of an oil
rig leaking or spilling oil into the waters. In
Iny < pinion the oil rigs offshore are worth
the nisk which is very low. We need then in
order to help Amrneca's dependence of oil
from other countries.

Additional copies of the newspaper are available for
50 cents Wednesday and Friday and 75 cents for
Sruend ail th ofc. HOm redelely subscriptions

Our Purpose...
The Okeechobee News is published by Independent
Newspapers of Florida. Independent is owned by a
unique trust that enables this newspaper to pursue a
msiniof journalistic srien toe ci it ns ofp te
is able to thrive on profit margins below industry stan-
dards. All after-tax surpluses are reinvested in
Independent s mission of journalistic service,
commitment to the ideals of the First Amendment of
the U.S. Constitution, and support of the community's
deliberation of public issues.

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live and work, through our dedication to
conscientious journalism.
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their own intelligent decisions about public issues.

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purposeful neutrality, fairness, objectivity,
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the prominence it deserves.
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OPINION

How Does Your Garden Grow?

UNIVERSE ITY OF

IFAS EX TENSION

overnight and left some disgust-
ing piles of what looks life spit up
food. Any idea of how to get these
creatures out of here? ~ Bart
Thank for your for your question! Actu-
ally there are no critters that are leaving their
calling card; it's the result of a slime mold
that causes the decay of dead woody organic
material, like mulch. While the spores may
have come in with the mulch, it is equally
possible that they blew in from another
place nearby. I had another local person ask
me about this infamous "dog vomit" mold
last December, but this one seems to be a
much larger patch.
While it looks terrible, the slime will
quickly dry out into a caked splotch that is
filled with millions of black spores, ready to
blow somewhere else. It is not poisonous,
not harmful, but there is no fungicide spray
to prevent it from growing. Since the "spit-
up pile" look is not what you want in your

School board honors students and staff members

playground, just get a shovel and lift the clod
out of the mulch, depositing it all in the near-
est trash bin.
BUMPY LEAVES
Our Laurel oaks have recovered
from winter, and are now full of
beautiful bright green leaves. But l
looked a little closer and see some

buempthe dfolage.oWha Pdoa Ied o
sprayt ton get them through this in-
The leaves are spotted with a fungus
called Taphnina caerulescens. It is very com-
mon to see new leaves from Laurel oak trees
infected by this fungus, but it is not really a
problem. It is especially noticeable in years
with cool moist winters (sound familiar?) but
rarely seems to cause significant leaf drop or
other problems with local oaks trees.
Once he blisters appear, the application
of fungicide will be a wasted effort. Pesti-
cide applications used prevent this disease
would have to be applied before the tree
buds begin to grow. If Oak Leaf Blister is
serious enough to cause leaves to fall, rake
them up and dispose in the regular trash.
Otherwise, go fishing !
More information and photos are avail-
able on the Okeechobee web page, http://
okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu If you need addi-
t""'W:""nform "chnples eumailduhe rt ns
at 863-763-646. Local residents can stop by
our office at 458 U.S. 98 North in Okeecho-
bee, and visit our Okeechobee County Mas-
ter Gardeners from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesday
afternoons.

Accident Victiras...

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Wrongful Death

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www.crash inj uries.com

OkechbeeNes/Cares urhyFirst grade teacher at Everglades Okeechobee News/Charles Murphy
Shelly Sickels helped the Teens Alive Jacinda Walsh was honored by Matilda Juarez, Custodian at Semi-
program at Yearling Middle School win Okeechobee School Superintendent nole Elementary School retired after
Point of Light awards from School Su- Dr. Patricia Cooper as she earned Na- 24 years of service to the school sys-
perintendent Dr. Patricia Cooper. tional Board certification. tem.

April 30, 2010

Okeechobee News

lavender flowers. A careful look at the indi-
vidual flowers shows a shape that looks like
a snapdragon. Look in roadside ditches or
pastures that have not been mowed. Anoth-
er very similar wildflower is a Bay Lobella
(Lobelia feayana), which shoots to a three
feet tall flower stalk. A close look at the Bay
Lobelia shows that the lower flower petals
are slightly pointed. Both can add a pink to
purple haze to our spring pastures.
Those tall spiny-leaved clumps are this-
tles (Cirsium spp.). Some have pink or pur-
ple flowers, while others are yellow in color.
They all rapidly turn into fluffy seed heads
These blow the seeds into what sometimes
looks like a snowstorm. When they land,
they will grow into persistent weeds that are
not eaten by livestock, form prickly leaves
that hurt bare feet or bare hands that try to
pull them from lawns, and can be seen in sod
that has been moved from pasture to lawn.
(There also is a yellow-flowered form called
Sowthistle (Sonchus spp.) that is more com-
mon in landscapes and gardens.)
SLIMY MULCH
Our school recently added a nice
matched area around our play-
ground. It seems that the students
are not the only critters that life
it; every morning it looks lite some
hind of animal visited the place

Chairperson Kelly Owens Norma Cason, custodian Mikeshia Tillman of Year- Dan Biebel, a Science
received an award on be- at Yearling Middle School, ling Middle School earned teacher at OHS was hon-
half of the School Board was honored for 12 years a Point of Light Award from ored for publishing a new
for their assistance to the of service to the School School Superintendent Dr. book about teaching.
March of Dimes Walk Amer- system. Patricia Cooper.
ica this year.

Wild flowers, empty leaveS
and such spring thingS
By Dan Culbert, horticultural
agent
UF/IFAS Extension Service
Your local Extension office offers this col-
umn for local gardeners, and we depend on
folks sending us questions. This week we
received many questions -and here are the
answers to a couple of the more interesting
calls or visits that have come in to our office.
Please keep calling and stopping by; our
newly graduated Master Gardeners are anx-
ious to put their new knowledge and skills
to work for you!
PURPLE PASTURES
What's with all the pretty flow-
ers now popping up in our pastures
and roadsides? I see several small
pretty pink to blue wildflowers, and
another that is shooting up fr~om a
big plant with lots of spthes?
Thanks for your question. One plant
I've noticed in local pastures is toadflax (Li-
naria canadensis). About a foot tall when in
bloom, a flat clump of leaves would hardly
ever be noticed, but in the cool times of late
winter or early spring, it shoots up a foot tall
spike that is topped by a dozen or so pink to

6 Okeechobee News April 30, 2010

Community Events

Obituaries

Obituaries should be submitted to
the Okeechobee News by e mailing
obits @newszap.com. Customers may also
request photos and links to online guest
books. A link to the obituaries is available at
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IIose Mary Hittle, 91
OKEECHOB E Rose Mary Hittle, age 91, of
(il, . i I. L. ., died Monday, April 26, 2010, in the
(l, i. I. d . - Health Care Facility.
She was born May 7, 1918, in Viam, Okla., to
the late Jesse and Sara Ellen Booze.
She was preceded in death by her husband,
John Perry Hittle; and son, Carl Thomas Harper.
She is survived by two daughters, Hannah
"Ann" Bregler of Baltimore, Md., Linda Bast (Mi-
chael) of Okeechobee; four grandchildren, and
numerous great-grandchildren. In addition she is
survived by brother, Raymond Booze of Califor-
nia; step-sister, Hope Watson of Oklahoma; and
several nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends Thursday, April
29, from 2 to 4 p.m. and services on Friday at 10
a.m. in the Buxton Funeral Home Chapel with
Pastor Bruce Simpson officiating.
All arrangements are entrusted to the loving
care of the Buxton Funeral Home Funeral and
Crematory, 110 E 5th Street, Okeechobee, Fl.

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Gospel Sing planned
The Seventh Day Christian Church, 912
N.W Park St., is having a Gospel Sing on Fni-
day night, April 30 at 7:30. For more infor-
mation call 763-5320.

Pray for our country
Come pray for our Country!! We are host-
ingourownpryermeeingatFir B ptis
Cnhu ,o,4wn pSrae mtte~etin aonr atu dayt
May 1, from 6:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Come
and go whenever you can or stay for the
entire day. We will be having live feed from
the www.mayday2010.org event that will be
in Washington, DC at the Lincoln Memorial.
Call 863~-63:4-3525 for more information. All
C:hristians invited to come and pray.

Boy Scouts begin new
district event
The public is invited to enjoy an event
hosted by the new Big Lake Boy Scout Dis-
trict on May 1, at the Lakeport Community
Center. The new district is open to kids from
all Lake Okeechobee communities. There
will be a Pine Wood Derby Race, horseman-
ship, contests and games. Come see what
scouting means to young people. There are
many small things an adult can do to help
the new district. The hours are 8 a.m.to 4
p.m. More information about this event will
be in the newspaper next week. Call Ray
Worley, Big Lake Boy Scout District chair-
man, 863-447-1114.

Boating safety class Saturday

kA B at ng Sarfey8CClass will b heltdatSahtet

by U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Training Staff.
If you are 21 years or younger this course
meets the State of Florida's requirements
t~o operate a 10$3HOP or greater boat 01r PWC.
family. Seating is limited. To make a reserva-
tion or for more information, call Al Finster,
772-519-2384 or 772-466-0722.

KOA Kid's care camp
fundraiser
Game day at Good Spirits lounge, May 1,
at 2 p.m. Over 21 years old only. Cash and
exciting prizes.

---a ---

Onlmne GuestbooK
All ObituarieI now include Online Gaestbooks
where family and friends can sitare reflec~tionj,
remembrances .ind condolences.

Summer play camp
YegiStrati0H StartS May 3
Sign-ups for Okeechobee County Parks
and Recreation Summer Play Camps will
open on Monday, May 3, at 8 a.m. Pre-regis-
tration will be held Monday-Friday from 8:30
a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Okeechobee County
Sports Complex in the Parks and Recreation
Office, 640 NW 27th Lane fro May 3 to May
28. Enrollment is limited and slots will be
filled on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE basis.
Campers must be from 6 to 12 years old. Play
camps will operate Monday-Friday, from June
21 to Aug. 6 (except Monday, July 5) from
8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Okeechobee
Civic Center and at Osceoloa Middle School.
Fees are $60/week per participant, plus fees
for hield trips and special activities, with spe-
cial rates of $40/week for children on the re-
duced school lunch program and $20/week
for children on the free lunch program within
the Okeechobee County School System dur-
ing the 2009-10 school year. A letter of par-
ticipation from Okeechobee County School
Food Service must be presented at the time of
registration in order to qualify for the special
rates. Extended camp hours of 7:30-8:30 a.m.
and 4:30-5:30 p.m. will be available for an ad-
ditional $10 per week per participant.

Crochet, crochet, crochet
group to meet
Buckhead Ridge Craft group May 5, at
noon at the Buckhead Ridge Moose Lodge.
Call Bonnie 863-357-1556.

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1Medical examiners collected data on
the following drugs for their statewide

repnNZODIAZEPINE --A family of sedative-
hypnotic drugs indicated for the treatment of
stress, anxiety, seizures and alcohol withdraw-
al. Xanax (Alprazolam) and Valium (Diazepam)
are the most commonly prescribed drugs in
this drug class.
BUPRENORPHINE --A semi-synthetic opi-
oid known as Buprenex, Suboxone and Subu-
tex indicated for the treatment of opioid addic-
tion and moderate to severe pain.
CANNABINOIDS --A series of compounds
found in the 1.. ...11.1 ... plant, the most psycho-
active of which is THC. Street names are often
associated with a geographic area from which
it came but also include generic names like:
ganja; MJ; ragweed; weed; reefer; grass; Mary
Jane; blunt; skunk; and, pot.
CARISOPRODOL --Muscle relaxant indi-
cated for the treatment of pain, muscle spasms
and limited mobility. It is often abused in con-
junction with analgesics for enhanced euphoric
effect. It is marketed as Soma.
COCAINE --An illicit stimulant. Powdered
cocaine goes by many street names including:
C; blow; snow; bump; Charlie; toot; and, nose
candy. Freebase cocaine is known as crack or
rock.
DIFLUOROETHANE --Commonly found
in electronic cleaning products and many con-
sumer aerosol products.
ETHYL ALCOHOL--Alcohol or ethanol.
FENTANYL- Synthetic narcotic analgesic
(pain killer) used in the Durgesic transdermal
patch. It's also available in a solid I11 I... !
sold under the brand name Actiq. Street names
include: Apache; China girl; China town; China
white; dance fever; drop dead; Fat Albert; good-
fellas; great bear; jackpot; and, murder 8.
GAMMA-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID
(GHB) --A depressant also known as a "date
rape" drug. GHB often goes by the street name:
easy lay; scoop; liquid X; Georgia home boy;
and, grievous bodily harm.
HEROIN --An illicit narcotic derivative that
is a semi-synthetic product of opium. Heroin
has numerous street names including: H; hom-
bre; brown sugar; horse; skag; white horse;
and, smack.
HYDROCODONE --A narcotic pain killer.
Vicodin and Lortab are two common drugs
containing hydrocodone.
HYDROMORPHONE --A narcotic pain
killer used to treat moderate to severe pain that
is marketed under the trade name Dilaudid. It is
2-to-8 times more potent than morphine and is
commonly used by abusers as a substitute for
heroin.
KETAMINE --An animal tranquilizer and

chemical relative of PCP. Street names include:
special K; vitamin K; and, cat valium.
unMEPERIDINE aA sythet tmpai skilse sold
pre-anesthesia and relief of moderate to severe
pain,
METHADONE --A synthetic narcotic pain
killer commonly associated with heroin detoxi-
fication, but is also used to treat severe pain.
It has been increasingly prescribed in place of
oxycodone for pain management.
METHYLATED AMPHETAMINES --In-
cludes such drugs as methamphetamine
(stimulant) and MDMA (Ecstasy, which is a
hallucinogen). Ecstasy has multiple street
names including: E; XTC; love drug; and, clar
ity. MDMA is often also known by a large variety
of embossed logos on the pills such as Mitsub-
ishis and Killer Bees. Methamphetamine is also
known as: meth; crank; crystal; fire; glass; go
fast; ice; speed; and, tina.
MORPHINE --A narcotic pain killer used to
treat moderate to severe pain. MS (Morphine
Sulfate), Kadian and MS-Contin are the tablet
forms. Roxanol is the liquid form. Street names
include: monkey; dreamer; emsel; first line;
Miss Emma; Mister Blue; Unkie; and, God's
drug.
NITROUS OXIDE (N20) --Also known as
I I. .-l .I.-- -- I -." this is an inhalant (gas) that pro-
duces light anesthesia and analgesia. "Whip-
pets" are a common form of Nitrous Oxide.
OXYCODONE --A narcotic pain killer. Oxy-
Contin is one form of this drug and its street
names include: OC; Hillbilly heroin; and, ox.
Percocet, Percodan, Roxicet, Tylox and Roxi-
codone also contain Oxycodone.
OXYMORPHONE --A narcotic pain killer
prescribed as Opana, Numophan and Numor
phone.
PHENCYCLIDINE (PCP) --An illicit dis-
sociative anesthetic/hallucinogen. Common
street names include: angel dust; ace; DOA;
and, wack.
PROPOXYPHENE --A synthetic narcotic
pain killer for mild to moderate pain. It is a
chemical cousin to methadone. It is marketed
under the trade name Darvon and Darvocet
when mixed with acetaminophen,
ROHYPNOL --This is a sedative-hypnotic
drug in the Benzodiazepine class that is com-
monly referred to as the "date rape" drug. It
often goes by the street name "roofies."
TRAMADOL --A synthetic narcotic analge-
sic sold under the trade name Ultram and Ul-
tracet for the treatment of moderate to severe
pain. It is a chemical analogue to Codeine. Tra-
madol is not currently a scheduled drug.
ZOLPIDEM --A prescription medication
currently used for the short-term treatment of
insomnia that is commonly known as Ambien.

*4,199 of Florida deaths were drug re-
lated
*Drugs found most often in decedants:
Ethyl Alcohol 1,963; all Benzodiazepines -
1,651 (including 942 Alprazolam occurrenc-
es); Oxycodone 890; and, Cocaine 724
*Drugs that caused the most deaths:
Oxycodone 499; all Benzodiazepines -
470 (including 348 caused by Alprazolam);
Methadone 364; Ethyl Alcohol 254; Co-
caine 236; and, Morphine 147
*2,557 people died with one or more
prescription drugs in their system
*1,157 people died with at least one pre-
seniption drug in their system that was, in the
opinion of the medical examiner, the cause
of death
When compared to last six months
of2008:
*Occurrences of Oxycodone (14.4 per-
cent), Hydromophone (14.9 percent) and
Hydrocodone (5.3 percent) increased over
last six months of 2008.

indicates that occurrences of heroin have
increased by 22 percent and heroin deaths
have gone up 20.5 percent, when compared
to the last six months of '08.
On the flip side, the statewide report
shows that cocaine occurrences for the
same time period have decreased by 1.4
percent and deaths caused by cocaine have
dropped by 3.3 percent.
"In my 40 years in law enforcement this
surpasses anything I've ever seen, as far as
the enormity of it," said Okeechobee County
Sheriff Paul May on the upswing in prescrip-
tion pill use. "This is the number one prob-
lem in Okeechobee County"
And while he has no numbers to back up
this claim, the sheriff has little doubt that the
increase in prescription drug abuse has led
to the increase in burglaries, robberies and
many other crimes in the county.
"It's fueling other crimes in the county,"
he said. "You know, if we had 12 murders or
12 bank robberies in a year it would be the
talk of the town. This problem has got to be
addressed."

were in this age group. Across the state, 413
of the 941 were between the ages of 35 and
50.
This trend holds true for nearly all of
the drugs tested for by medical examiners
across the state and in District 19, except for
three classifications. In 2008 and the first six
months of 2009, more people over the age
of 50 died due to morphine overdoses than
any other age groups in District 19. Also, in
2008, more people over the age of 50 died
due to an overdose of propoxyphene in Dis-
trict 19. In the '09 report, there was only one
death due to a propoxyphene overdose and
that was in the 35-50 age group.
"That's about what I'm seeing," said the
local detective. "It's mostly white males and
white females, 25 and up. The kids are dab-
bling in it.
"Blacks are selling them (pills), but aren't
as predominant as far as using. I'm also

starting to see some Hispanics, as far as sell-
ing it," the detective added.
According to the report for Okeechobee
County: eight of the 12 who died fell in the
35-50 group; six were male and six were fe-
male; and 10 were white, one was Hispanic
and one was an American Indian.
As for other drugs, the '09 report shows
that nearly all prescription drugs are on the
rise. The report indicates that when com-
pared to the last six months of '08: metha-
done deaths are up 8.3 percent; occurrences
of alprazolam (xanax) are up 3.3 percent;
occurrences of diazepam (valium) are up
1.1 percent; occurrences of carisoprodol
(soma)/meprobamate (milltown) are up
33.2 percent; occurrences of fentanyl are up
8.9 percent; and, occurrences of propoxy-
phene are up 8.8 percent.
Heroin, however, is still the most lethal
drug named in the report. The '09 report

(includes 348 deaths caused by alprazo-
lam); methadone 364; ethyl alcohol 254;
cocaine 236; and, morphine 147.
Ethyl alcohol (1,963), benzodiazepines
(1,651), oxycodone (890) and cocaine (724)
were the four drugs found most frequently
in decedents, stated the report.
With ethyl alcohol removed from the
equation, prescription drugs accounted for
79 percent of all drug occurrences in the
2009 report. In 2008, prescription drugs
accounted for 75 percent of all drug occur-
rences.
In 2008, there was a total of 171,800
deaths in Florida. Of those, 8,556 were drug
related.
According to the 2008 medical examin-
ers report, oxycodone was found in a total of
1,574 decedents and was ruled as the cause
of death in 941 cases.
That 2008 report goes on to show that
there were: 929 deaths due to benzodi-
azepines: 693 caused by methadone; 648
caused by cocaine; 489 due to ethyl alcohol;
300 caused by morphine; and, 270 deaths
caused by hydrocodone.
The '08 report also states that there were
4,924 people who died with one or more pre-
scription drugs in their system. Also, 2,184
died with at least one prescription drug in
their system that was, in the opinion of the
medical examiner, the cause of death.
In the '09 interim report 2,557 people
died in the first six months with one or more
prescription drugs in their system, and 1,157
died with at least one prescribed drug in
their system that was the cause of death in
the medical examiner's opinion.
For District 19--which is made up of Mar-
tin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee
counties-the numbers bear out the local
detective's thoughts that deaths due to oxy-
codone abuse are on the rise.
In 2008, there were 71 area deaths where
oxycodone was found in the decedent's sys-
tem. In 41 of those, oxycodone was ruled as
the cause of death. There were nine deaths
in which oxycodone was the only drug found
in the system, and in two of those deaths the

dr cth fst r tix mnhs of 2009, there were
a total of 55 deaths where oxycodone was
found in the system and in 25 of those it was
determined to be the cause of death. There
were also 12 District 19 deaths where oxy-
codone was the only drug found in the sys-
tem, and three of those deaths were caused
by the pain killer, indicated the statewide
report.
Locally, of the 1 2 overdose deaths last year
two were caused by oxycodone. In contrast,
there were 14 overdose deaths in Okeecho-
bee County in 2008 and none were ruled to
be caused by oxycodone. While oxycodone
was found in the system of three of the dece-
dents, it was not ruled as the cause of death
since several other drugs were also present.
The local deaths also mirror District 19
and statewide findings in that the bulk of
those who die due to drug overdose are be-
tween the ages of 35 and 50.
In Okeechobee County, two of the 12
OVerdose deaths were due to oxycodone
toxicity. In District 19, 25 of the 41 people
who died due to lethal levels of oxycodone

The~ Battle of Puebla took place i
on Masy 5, 1862 near the city of a 0
lo Ii .eia he a gant a h ho spying 3415 H j44 S. 4 pm
Friench forces. The victory is celebrated today Okeechobee
During the festivities of Cinco de Mayo (5th of May). (in the Publix

)

By Charles M. Murphy
Okeechobee News
Yearling Middle School eighth grader Irfan
Chaudhary is this year's Okeechobee Schools
spelling champion.
Chaudhary won the annual spelling bee
over 25 other spellers at Osceola Middle
School on Friday.
hary s id' re 11admuchdk ep most of th
words."
Chaudhary also won the contest in fifth
grade. Two older sisters were also champion
spellers for Okeechobee. One of them almost
made it to the national spelling bee one year.
Kirby Dobbs of Osceola Midldle School fin-
ished second in the competition which lasted
over an hour and went 10 rounds.
Assistant Superintendent of Schools Mary
tHh rle sd theealwer f hlmol' wds used
ied hard and put a lot of hard work into the
eve'e had 26 really bright spellers. Their job
was to determine who the best speller was
today. All of them are winners," she added.
Riverside National Bank, a division of
TD Bank, and the Okeechobee Educational
Foundation served as sponsors of this year's
event. The three finalists all received a $50
savings bond from the bank.
Branch manager Tabitha Trent said
she was very impressed with the spellers.
"You have a lot to be proud of. We are very
proud.
Prolld was the feeling of I.iibna C~haiid-

Okeechobee News/Charles Murphy
Tabitha Trent issues $50 savings
bonds to the three finalists in Friday's
spelling bee.
hary Irfan's mom. She said he put a lot of
time in studying his words for the competi-
tion, "I'm so happy and proud of him. He
worked so hard for it. He deserved to be
numben alon" thanked his father Muham-
mad, a local physician, and his tutor Dorothy
Bloom said she has worked with Irfan since
the first grade. She explained his mother had
some trouble pronouncing the words so she
as a retired school teacher was glad to help.
She said Irfan deserves all the credit because
many times he would spell 400 words in an
hour to prepare for the competition.
"He has been a pleasure to work with. The
funny thing is one of his words, lieutenant,
was on his list of study words, he deserves all
of the credit not me," she added.
There were seven spellers eliminated in
the first round and nine more in the second
round. Chadhaury won in the 10th round
when he successfully spelled the word coun-
terfeiter. Words the spellers successfully
spelled include lieutenant, silhouette, illumi-
nate, chandelier, traversed, vivacious, pum-
pernickel, paralysis, javelin, vendetta, and
unceremonious.
Osceola Middle School served as the host
of the event this year. The judges were Linda
Syfrett, President of the Okeechobee Educa-
tion Foundation, Okeechobee Schools Coor-
dinator of Staff Barbara James, and ESE em-
ployee Debbie Johnson. Russ Brown served
as the pronouncer.

On March 25, Heritage Day at the Freshman
Campus, members of the Okeechobee Histori
cal Society were set up in front of the mural,
painted on the north side of the gymnasium
building, depicting the first settlers, Peter and his
wife, Louisiana Chandler Raulerson, with their
children in 1896 coming from Basinger to make
their home in what is now Okeechobee. Zelda
Mixon, their great-granddaughter, told what
it was like for them living in a territory where
the Seminole Indians were their only, "neigh
bors" and how wild bears, panthers, and hogs
roamed the area. Betty Williamson explained
how the artist, John Gutcher of Tampa has in
eluded the symbols representing the clans of
the Seminoles. She had the students find a frog,
otter, alligator, panther, snake, raccoon, bear
and the wind as depicted in the mural.

U~eecnonee Ivewsweret rjawas
Five Year Service Award
At the Tuesday, April 20 meeting of the
Okeechobee City Council Mayor James
Kirk presented a Five Year Service E
Award to Russell Cale for five years
service with the police department.

Seacoast Supports Real Life
Seacoast National Bank sponsors a team for the Real Life Children's Ranch
golf tournament on April 17. Pictured: Keith Stripling, Kalani Karratti, Teresa
Chandler and Jerry O'Bannon. For more information on Real Life Children's
Ranch, please call 863-763-4242.

Special to the Okeechobee News/Freedom Outreach
Tournament winners
Freedom Outreach was pleased with
the turn out of the third tournament in
the series that took place on Sunday,
April 25. "We appreciate everyone's
support." The wind made fishing
more challenging, but didn't hinder
the peaceful atmosphere among the
people. Participants and spectators
enjoyed the smoked sausages, hot-
dogs, drinks and additional snacks
provided while waiting for the results.
The teams placed are as follows:
First place Bob Owens 18.14 Ibs.
Second place Mike Cornell/Mike Zubricky 12.12 Ibs.
Third place Bobby Obannon/Richard Stiglitz 12.06 Ibs.
Big Fish Bob Owens 5 Ibs.

nWPLAlvrS Call Toll Free at
& FAMILY
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By Charles M. Murphy
Okeechobee News
Samantha Harrell tossed another shutout
and Courtney Wilson knocked in two runs as
Okeechobee High School defeated Titusville
3-0 in the regional quarterfinal
game played Tuesday night at
Okeechobee High School.
Okeechobee advanced to
meet Jensen Beach again in
the regional semifinal Friday
night. Okeechobee has defeat-
ed the Lady Falcons twice this
year, most recently last Friday
in the District 14-4A Champi- Courtney
onship game. Jensen Beach Wilson
defeated Space Coast 4-3 in
their regional quarterfinal game Tuesday.
Tuesday Okeechobee got an early run in the
bottom of the first and then held off the Lady
Terriers.
Coach Kim Hargraves said her team is used
to playing low scoring and close games. "We
didn't get our bats going early tonight. This
team has a way of getting comfortable with a
one run lead. They know we've had a lot of
shutouts this year and have allowed very few
runs this year. The late runs tonight were just
nails in the coffin."
Naomi Stevens, who scored two runs, was
able to get on base in the first and score on a
double by Wilson. In the sixth she dropped a
fly ball into short right field and hustled to get
a double. Ashtyn Brown followed with a bunt
single to put runners on first and third. From
there Okeechobee scored two quick runs on
plays where Brahman speed played a huge role.
Wilson hit a squeeze bunt in front of the plate
The catcher fielded it cleanly and checked the

runner and threw to first. Stevens took off im-
mediately after the throw and slid home safely
ahead of the tag. Megan Clements followed
with a ground out to short. Again the fielder
Taylor Mosley tried to hold Brown at third as
she threw to first. Brown took off immediately
and in almost a carbon copy, was able to beat
the throw home.
Wilson said the team works hard on run-
ning the bases and learning how to slide. "It
is an awesome feeling to win. I'm so excited
about Friday's game. Coach told us to get on
them early tonight. I had Naomi on base and I
just did my job. I tried to hit the ball hard some-
where." Titusville had a couple of threats late
in the game. They had a runner in scoring po-
sition in the fifth, and two runners on base in
the sixth. Each time Harrell was able to bear
down and get big outs. Coach Hargraves said
Harrell has confidence she can work herself out
of jams.
"We've gotten into situations with runners
in scoring position that puts pressure on us this
year. The girls look at it as no big deal. The girls
basically just blow it off and don't act like its
anything big," she added.
Wilson said it all comes down to having
confidence in your defense and also in their
pitcher. "I'm very confident in our pitcher. We
can have the bases loaded and I know Sam can
go out there and get three outs. I'm very confi-
dent in our defense and Sam," she added.
Wilson said she expects another great game
when Okeechobee squares off with Jensen
Beach on Friday night. Two years ago Okeecho-
bee won the district title game and then lost
a week later to Jensen Beach in the regional
semifinal. Wilson said all of the girls know it'll
be a tough game. "Both teams are going to be
hungry. It'll be a great game," Wilson said.

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Brahman football fundraisers
FOOTBALL FUNDRAISERS PLANNED
The Okeechobee High School football team will host a fund raiser walk-a-thon on Satur-
day, May 15. Football players will walk from Okeechobee High School to Lock 7 and back
starting at 8 a.m. Any person or business who would like to sponsor a player can contact
Coach Myron Jackson at 863-462-5050. The team hopes to raise funds to purchase more
equipment for their fall season.
SCRIMMAGE GAME FUNDRAISER SET
The annual purple and white Brahman football scrimmage will be held on Friday night,
May 21, at the Brighton Seminole Indian Reservation. Games are scheduled to begin at
6:30 p.m. An eighth grade scrimmage and a varsity and junior varsity scrimmage are being
planned. Barbecue dinners will also be sold to raise funds for the football team. Dinners are
$7. For more information please call Coach Myron Jackson at 863-462-5050.

By Charles M. Murphy
Okeechobee News
Austin Hamilton struck out 15 and retired
all 21 batters he faced as the Okeechobee
High School Brahmans shutout Fort Pierce
Westwood 8-0 in the opening game of the
District 14-4A Tournament on Tuesday
night.

The game was delayed one day due to
heavy rains on the Treasure Coast Monday.
The delay didn't seem to hurt the Brah-
mans (16-10) as they hit two homeruns and
scored three runs before Westwood could
catch their breath,
Aaron Suarez had an RBI triple in the first
inning and two more runs scored on West-
wood errors in the first inning. Mark Weir hit

a two run homerun in the second. Jonathan
Crawford hit a solo homerun in the third.
Brahman Coach Dylan Tedders said
he loves Hamilton's makeup and how he
doesn't get rattled on the mound no matter
what goes on in a game, "He doesn't lose his
composure. He comes out here and throws
a no hitter in his first district tournament. All
I can say is, I love that kid."
Tedders also had a smile because of his
teahns ofebnsilve output. thteamldwa ale
the soft tossing Westwood starter Kardell
Hamilton.
"We had an awesome night at the plate.
We went the other way and we got the ball
rolling," Tedders added.
Okeechobee played solid defense but the
Brahman fielders didn't really have much
work. Hamilton kept the Westwood hitters
off balance and very few of his pitches were
hit with any kind of authority.
Hamilton said he was actually surprised
at how successful he was in the game, "It's
just shocking. I've never thrown a no-hitter
in my life and I come out here and throw
a perfect game. It's shocking. I just tried to
throw strikes and get my team back into the
dugout so we could score some runs."
Tedders said the team was in pretty
good shape for the remainder of the district
tournament. University of Florida signee
Jonathan Crawford was scheduled to pitch
Wednesday against Lincoln Park in the Dis-
trict semifinal. The District final was sched-

By Charles M. Murphy
Okeechobee News
A valiant effort which included two come-
backs wasn't enough as the Okeechobee
High School Brahman baseball team fell 6-5
to Lincoln Park Academy in the District 14-4A
semifinal on Wednesday.
Okeechobee trailed 3-1 and 5-4 in the
game but didn't give up in what turned out to
be their last game of the year.
gave aave them a co~uplehof runs butdtdhey
said, "I felt like we out hit them and who
knows what could of happened if we both
played our best game."
Okeechobee led 1-0 in the first when Drew
Selvey was hit by a pitch and later scored on a
double by Mark Weir.
Lincoln Park scored three times in the sec-
ond against Brahman starter Jonathan Craw-
ford. They put together two hits, a hit batter,
and an error to score three runs.
intOekteoechheee cam bk wt three ru
and Cameron Tewksbury added bunt singles.

Sethrwn e bonRawh Tp chury scored a

LPA responded with two runs in the fifth
against Brahman pitcher Cameron Tewks-
wtrh a dobl cA f111bals h trb Jo menMadie
fell between two outfielders in right center to
bring home the second run.
O~keechobee again responded with a
run to tie the score in the top of the sixth.
Pinch hitter Darius Bauer ripped a single
that bounced off the shortstop. The ball was
thrown away to allow Bauer to reach second
base. He moved to third on a single by Selvey
and scored on a suicide squeeze bunt by
AarA uar zthe game in the bottom of the
sixth as Brad Shea singled, moved up on a
sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch and scored on
a sacrifice fly by Gio Alfonso.
Tedders said he was disappointed the
team didn't play their best in the biggest
game of the year. "They just put our pitchers
in play and our pitchers weren't at their best.
They scored four earned runs against us," he
siOkeechobee finished the season at (16-
I1). Lincoln Park moved on to play Fort
Pierce Cntral in the District Final on Frida

Austin Hamilton tossed a perfect game
Tuesday.
uled for Friday at 4 p.m. at Fort Pierce Cen-
tral High School.
"We decided to use Austin tonight be-
cause we don't just want to win one game,
we want to win the entire thing," Tedders
said.

0HS baseball team defeated by Lincoln Park

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O~ECHOBEE NEWS

pionship was really a drearn corne true. He
said it took awhile for it to set in. He doesn't
even renernber picking up the Glades Day
coach on the field and carrying him on one
shoulder.
fo"AT t ai nship was what Irwas lo in
wa tstthnghth re on hshe fne usd tkng in
in; rit's lika bG ng in aa. sKribler si heb tx-
ter player. He said there was a lot of pressure
in Belle Glade to perform as he compared it
toFria N ght L ts a ls -cesslful television
Kibler said he could major in cornruni-
ALWAYS
SAVI NG
BUYE RS
MONEY!

By Charles M. Murphy
Okeechobee News
Brahman football player Tony Kibler
chose the University of South Florida and the
"i Et idt ofrnc .. ctnuenhi tra ing
'she ast yarHe raansfe to Gatdh Dat in
win a Sat HignhOSkhoo Cbharpior s se-
nior year. Kibler was all state in football for
Okeechobee as a junior.
de tas highly rerite an gav co sid
befor he cho the Bulls
he eF Soc coaches just made me feel
comfortable. It had a feeling like horne. The
school is really nice," Kibler said.
Kibler was actually recruited by the for-
Iner 11SF coach Jirn Leavitt, who was fired
after 13 years as the head man for the Bulls.
In fact he is the only football coach in the
programs history. He was fired after last sea-
son and replaced by Skip Holtz, the son of
legendary coach Lou Holtz.
Kibler speaks highly of both coaches and
said he never wavered in his cornritrnent
when the coaching change was made, "I
have all the respect in the world for coach
Leavitt but I feel coach Holtz can take the
program to the next level."
Holtz had been the coach of East Caro-
lina before taking the job in Tarnpa .
Kibler noted he wants to be part of the
first 11SF tearn to win a college football Big
East title and a National Championship.

"It's definitely something you can't de-
scribe in words. I will always give my best,
and give everything I have," he added
IKibler, who stands a good 6'5" and
weighs nearly 330 pounds, said he expects
tob n he un for plng tin jdhi yra H
hee dthe ean bar helped hirni 1ov Ihis
Sllndg to >o what it takes to nwn garnes he
upset Florida State last year in Tallahassee.
They are scheduled to play the University of
Fll cntn wat o I rI t til goa ast pk <
pl thtar y sz Tey wilp oaly kc
InyK but Idea 't ive uphi' Kible saidlar-

ra* ~
Okeechobee News/Charles Murphy
(I-r) Former OHS football coach Chris Bra-
nham congratulates Tony Kibler, who recent-
ly signed to play college football at USF

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CITY COUNCIL MEETING NOTICE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Okee-
chobee will meet In Regular Session on TuesdaY elya 4 20T1h0, 6:00
s. atae nd ou5r5aSE 3rod Avedm 200, Okeechoe. ,od a. e public
ce EdASEo AtKEe NO EwAINDeBEa AVISDeth e no Itnorphl5 Ieodbyly
any person who may seek to appeal any decision Involving the matters no-
ticed herein will be responsible for making a verbatim record of the testimo-
ny and evidence at said meeting upon which any appeal Is to be based.
Please contact City Administration at 863-763-3372, or website
www.citvofokeechobee.com. to obtain a copy of te agenda.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 per-
sons needing special accommodaton to paricipate In this proceeding
should contact the City Clerk's Ofice at 863-763-3372 for assistance.
b:anme Gamlta CM,M City Clerk
3529010N 4/30/10

on Final with the Clerk of this Court
eit er before se vice on Plaintffs at-
otee Isor a mefaul wilbe etre
agas youlanr the relief demanded
DATED: April 15, 2010.
BY Kathy Arnold
SHANk ROhEeRTSON
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Okeechobee Sports Network( 0HS girls golf team

j

Special to the Ul~eechobee News/OiS
The Okeechobee High School Girls Golf Team now has its own web page
on Okeechobee Sports Network. Go online to www.newszap.com, click on
"Okeechobee" and then click on the "Sports" tab in the upper right side of
the community web page. The 2009 Okeechobee High School girls varsity golf
roster included Emily Raulerson, Taylor Fulford, Paige Arnold, Samantha Har-
rell, Karli Rowell, Raychel Rabon, Katlyn Haymond, Paige Rivero, Sarah Payne,
Heather Lanning and Kailey Hoover.

planning for fall season
It wasn't too long ago that Okeechobee individual improvement to the efforts of
High School girls varsity golf coach Lonnie Terry Lanman from the Okeechobee Golf &
Sears was hoping that six girls would try out Country Club and Jim Waldau of Waldau's
for the team. He now has a dozen who are Junior Golf.
likely to compete for playing time this fall, "The golf community in Okeechobee,
with a majority of them having experience. including Terry and Jim, are really helping
"We're definitely getting more interest with raising the level of girls high school
and we're getting better," said Sears, who golf," Sears said. "They push these girls.
has coached the girls team for four years. It's interesting because some of the newer
"We finished fifth in the district this school players didn't even know that they liked golf
year and sent one girl (freshman Kailey until they started playing, and now they're
Hoover) to the regionals for the first time." putting the time into it to get to the next
The 2009 Okeechobee High School girls level "
varsity golf roster included Emily Rauler- The girls play home meets at the Coun-
son, Taylor Fulford, Paige Arnold, Samantha tyCubtms ace r ntera
Harrell, Karli Rowell, Raychel Rabon, Kat-icungaSt mePACnrylb
lyn Haymond, Paige Rivero, Sarah Payne '
Heather Lanning and Hoover. 'Willoughby, Placid Lakes, Eagle Marsh and
"Girls golf is still not a real big thingIninHls
here, and there are only a couple of nearby Following a recent donation to the
courses, but we now have some good ath- school's golf department, the girls are able
letes who are learning to be golfers," Sears to use a video analysis machine that breaks
said. "There are a couple of them who are down their swings and lets them observe
really putting in the time now and making where they need to correct their swings.
golf their focus. We only had one senior this Want your team profiled? Sign up for a
year and I'm expecting almost everybody free team web page on the Okeechobee
else to come back this fall Sports Network! Go to www.newszap.
Practices for the fall season will begin in com, click on "Okeechobee" and then click
August, and the season will run from early on "Sports "at the top right of the Okeecho-
September through late October. bee page. For more information, contact
Sears credits the increased interest and Renee Hawley at 888-853-7904, ext. 323.